Beginning in 2013, Malakal has been the site of numerous battles between government SPLA forces and the Nuer White Army, loosely commanded by the SPLM-IO which is headed by Riek Machar. The city has been overrun on various occasions by both sides.[3]

Malakal has very limited newspapers circulated in hardcopy form. However, the Juba based 'Citizen' is widely read around the town. In the eve of Independence day on July 9, 2011, The Upper Nile Times online newspaper was launched. The website for this online digital newspaper is no longer active, with the domain name being available for purchase.

As of 2005[update] the population of Malakal was estimated at about 129,620.[5] The 2008 Sudanese census, which was boycotted by the South Sudanese government, recorded a population of about 126,500.[6] However, those results are disputed by the authorities in Juba. In 2010, it was estimated that the population of Malakal had grown to about 139,450.[7] Below is a table depicting the estimated population of the city from 1983 until 2010 from all sources: